Governor



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. RITES, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 527,720, dated October16, 1894.

Application filed June 21, 1394.

To all whom itmcty concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. RITES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered a certain new and usefulImprovement in Governors, of which improvement the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to simplify and perfect the constructionof governors of the class" or type of those located upon the crank shaftor countershaft of an engine, and to provide, in a governor of suchtype, a system of gravity'balancing weights by means of which the degreeand rapidity of regulation of the governor may be made more fully andeffectively available than heretofore.

To this end, my invention, generally stated, consists in the combinationof a primary centrifugally adjustable weight, adapted to be connected toan adjustable cut off or regulating device, and a secondary Weight ingravity balance with the primary weight and connected to the supportingwheel or case so that its centrifugal force of adjustment is reduced toa minimum by being caused to act substantially through or in line withits pivot.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a face view of a governorillustrating an embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2, a transversesection, at the line w, 00, of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my'invention, the governor is, as heretofore, mountedand supported on a suitable disk wheel or case 1, fixed upon the crankshaft 2 of the engine, or upon a countershaft deriving motion therefrom.A primary centrifugally adjustable weight 3, which may be formed on orfixed to an arm 3, is pivoted, as by a bearing pin 4, to the supportingwheel 1, at a suitable distance from its center, so as to be subject tothe rotative effect of centrifugal force about the axis of its bearingpin, and is connected, in this case, rigidly to a movable eccentric oreccentric pin 5, from which, through the usual connections, thedistribution valve of the engine is actuated. The primary weight 3 isconnected to a spring 6, the tension of which acts, as in the ordinaryconsral No. 515,238. (No made.)

str uctions, in opposition to the action of centrifugal force upon theprimary weight 3. 'A secondary weight 7, is pivoted, by a pin 9 to thesupporting wheel, its center of gravity being in line radially with itspivot, so that, in the rotation of the governor, it is brought bycentrifugal forceto, and held, (except during. momentary adjustments) ina mean or neutral position in which its center of gravity, its center ofvibration, and the center of the shaft, lie in a common straight line,as shown in Fig. 1', this being the position to which centrifugal forcealways tends to move it, and from which, centrifugal force is inact iveto effect its displacement.

The primary weight 3 and secondary weight 7 are balanced as to gravity,one by the other,

by being linked or coupled together by an articulated connection,interposed between them in such location as to oppose movement of eitherin the direction due to gravity. To promote close regulation and rapidadjustment, the weights are preferably connected through theintermediation of a dash pot device, although the employment of a deviceof such character is not an essential of my invention.

In the instance shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a cylinder or dash pot 10 ispivoted, by a trunnion 10, to one side of the arm which extends from thesecondary weight 7 to :its pivot bearing, and is provided with a piston11, the rod 13, of which,- is pivoted, at its outer end, to a pin 14, onan arm 8, formed integral with the primary weight 3, and extending inopposite direction to the arm 3* thereof, from its pivot hearing. Thespace within the cylinder 10, behind its piston 11, is filled with anincompressible liquid, and a small hole 12 is formed in the piston 11,toallow the limited passage of liquid through the same, as in ordinarydash pot constructions.

A weight 15 is shown as fixed to the supporting wheel 1, to serve as acounterbalance for the governor system.

In the operation of a governor as, or sub- I stantially as, abovedescribed, upon a variation of load orpressure, or both, the action ofcentrifugal force upon the primary weight 3, and of inertia upon boththe primary weight 3 and secondary weight 7, forces the connectedweights into a new position, and thereby ICO causes the eccentric oreccentric pin to assume a new position of cut 06. The secondary weight 7is, consequently, swung out of its neutral or inactive position, andbecomes, during adjustment, correspondingly subject to centrifugal forcetending to restore it to said neutral position. By the intermediation ofthe dash pot, it is returned gradually to the neutral position,in whichit becomes and remains inoperative as to centrifugal force, until theload or pressure again changes and induces a new adjustment. The pistonof the dash pot device thus continually moves in its cylinder 'at eachadjustment of the weights and eccentric pin, and it will be evident thatthe dash pot is not an obstruction to adjustment, but on the other handacts to promote a closer regulation and more rapid adjustment.

In any and all positions of adjustment, the primary weight 3 will bemaintained in position by the equal and opposing actions of centrifugalforce and spring tension, and the secondary weight 7 will be maintainedin its neutral position by the action of centrifugal force. During themomentary periods of adj ustment the connected weights will be moved asabove described. In all cases of mutual effort under the action ofgravity or centrifugal force, the two weights influence each otherthrough their intermediate connection, and are, by such connection,caused to be reciprocally gravity balancing weights, in all positions.

It is well recognized,in good practice, that while the forces of inertiaand centrifugal action are necessarily present in the operation of allshaft governors, centrifugal force should be reduced materially,comparatively with the inertia of adjustment, in order that the springcapacity may be diminished and the rapidity of adjustment increased. Myinvention is designed to be in accordance with this operative principle,and by reciprocally balancing and reducing the aggregate centrifugalaction of the two weights, to attain a maximum inertia effect andrefinement in governing qualities, without complication of parts.

My invention is not limited in its application to shifting an eccentricor eccentric pin, for operating a steam distribution valve but may beemployed to effect the adjustment of other forms of cut-0E or regulatingdevices such as a shifting link, or block, or a tripping device, orother adjustable member of avalve gear, and it may be employed tocontrol the passage or flow of fluid by being connected to a throttle,or other regulating valve device, and is therefore not limited toemployment with a distribution valve mechanism, or cut-ofi device, forcontrolling the expansion of a fluid. Nor is it limited in itsapplication to devices for controlling fluid pressure, since it may beemployed to eflt'ect the adjustment of parts of other devices, ormechanisms, which may or may not be operated by fluid pressure; such,for example, as a brake, or clutch, or a device for regulating orcontrolling the current or resistance of an electrical machine orapparatus.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination, in a governor, of a primary centrifugally adjustableWeight, and a secondary weight in gravity balance with the primaryweight and connected .to the supporting wheel or case so thatcentrifugal force tending to hold'it in normal position shall actthrough or in line with its pivot, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in agovernor, of a primary centrifugally adjustableweight, a secondary weight pivoted to the supporting wheel or caseindependently of, and in gravity balance with, the primary weight andwith its center of gravity normally in line with its pivot and thecenter of the shaft, and an articulated connection coupling the primaryand secondary weights, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a governor,of a primary centrifugally adjustableweight, a secondary weight pivoted to the supporting wheel or caseindependently of, and in gravity balance with, the primary weight andwith its center of gravity normally in line with its pivot and thecenter of the shaft, and a dash pot device interposed between andconnected to the primary and secondary weights, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANCIS M. RITES. Witnesses:

ALEX. M. DE HAVEN, THOMAS G. ROBERTS.

